Ultrasonic transfer printing with multi-copy, color and low audible noise capability

Abstract

A printing or copying system in which ink is transferred from an ink-bearing medium to a printing medium through the use of ultrasonics. The ink-bearing medium may be an ink ribbon, carbon paper or the like which is in contact with a printing medium such as paper. Ultrasonic energy is applied to the ink-bearing medium through transmission fibers, wires or bundles thereof, causing the viscosity of the ink to be reduced due to the ultrasonic vibrations and conversion of the ultrasonic energy into heat such that the ink is transferred to the printing medium. Multi-copy capability is achieved by having alternate layers of carbon paper or the like in contact with the paper.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An ink printing system, comprising: ultrasonic energy generating means;   an ink-bearing medium having a back surface through which ink can be transferred upon reduction of the ink viscosity;   means for providing a paper to be printed on in contact with the back surface of said ink-bearing medium;   sonic transmission means connected to said ultrasonic energy generating means for transferring sonic energy to said ink-bearing medium, said sonic transmission means including a plurality of sonic wires or bundles having their downstream ends adapted to contact said ink-bearing medium; and   modulation means for selectively coupling the sonic energy from said ultrasonic energy generating means to said ink-bearing medium via said ends of said sonic wires or bundles; whereby ultrasonic energy applied to said ink-bearing medium causes a reduction in the viscosity of the ink due to the ultrasonic vibrations and thereby transfers the ink to said print paper.     
     
     
       2. System as recited in claim 1, wherein said ink-bearing medium comprises one or more sheets of carbon paper or other thermally transferable materials. 
     
     
       3. System as recited in claim 1, wherein said ink-bearing medium comprises one or more strips of ink ribbon. 
     
     
       4. System as recited in claim 1, wherein said ink-bearing medium and said paper comprise a plurality of carbon papers or ink-bearing media alternatively placed between individual copies of paper for printing on multiple copies simultaneously. 
     
     
       5. System as recited in claim 1, wherein said ink-bearing medium has a generally planar configuration, with the back surface of said ink bearing medium in contact with said printing paper and the front surface in contact with said downstream ends of said sonic wires or bundles. 
     
     
       6. System as recited in claim 1, wherein said ink-bearing medium comprises a porous media having pores which contain ink having non-Newtonian flow characteristics which exhibit either large viscosity changes with small increases in temperature or which exhibit a large viscosity at zero and extremely low shear values but a relatively low viscosity at relatively high shear values. 
     
     
       7. System as recited in claim 6, wherein said ink-bearing medium includes pores directed perpendicular to the paper surface and parallel to the direction of propagation of ultrasonic energy at the back surface of said ink-bearing medium. 
     
     
       8. System as recited in claim 6, wherein said pores have a general diameter in the order of 0.5-50 microns. 
     
     
       9. System as recited in claim 6, wherein said ink-bearing medium contains ink belonging to the classes known as colloids, smectic liquid crystals, or wax based inks. 
     
     
       10. System as recited in claim 1, wherein said ultrasonic energy generating means includes an A.C. generator connected to magnetostrictive transducer means, and said modulation means includes control switch means for selectively activating said magnetostrictive transducer means to couple ultrasonic energy into said sonic transmission means. 
     
     
       11. System as recited in claim 1, wherein said ultrasonic generating means includes an A.C. generator connected to piezoelectric transducer means, and said modulation means includes control switch means for selectively activating said piezoelectric transducer means to couple ultrasonic energy into said sonic transmission means. 
     
     
       12. System as recited in claim 1, wherein said sonic transmission means comprises a plurality of individual sonic wires or bundles or wires, each having an overall diameter in the order of 2-20 thousandths of an inch. 
     
     
       13. System as recited in claim 1, including means for supporting said sonic wires or bundles such that said downstream ends make firm contact with said ink-bearing medium. 
     
     
       14. System as recited in claim 1, further comprising means for feeding said ink-bearing medium and said paper into the print area adjacent the downstream ends of said sonic wires or bundles. 
     
     
       15. System as recited in claim 1, including a support plate mounted at a spaced apart distance from the ends of said sonic wires or bundles to provide a gap therebetween in which said ink-bearing medium and said paper is located. 
     
     
       16. System as recited in claim 1, further comprising static electric field generating means connected to produce an electric field between said paper and said ink-bearing medium, wherein the latter comprises a porous ink-bearing substrate. 
     
     
       17. System as recited in claim 1, further comprising magnetic field producing means for providing a magnetic field between said paper and said ink-bearing medium, wherein the latter comprises a porous substrate containing ink with magnetic materials. 
     
     
       18. System as recited in claim 1, wherein said porous ink-bearing medium and said paper are together constituted by one or more sheets of thermal paper or other thermally triggered medium. 
     
     
       19. An ink printing system, comprising: ultrasonic energy generating means;   an ink-bearing medium having a back surface from which ink can be transferred upon reduction of the ink viscosity;   means for providing a paper to be printed on adjacent to or in contact with the back surface of said ink-bearing medium;   sonic transmission means connected to said ultrasonic energy generating means for transferring sonic energy to said ink-bearing medium, said sonic transmission means including a plurality of sonic wires or bundles having their downstream ends adapted to contact said ink-bearing medium; and   modulation means for selectively coupling the sonic energy from said ultrasonic energy generating means to said ink-bearing medium via said ends of said sonic wires or bundles, modulation means including a contact piston which is ultrasonically coupled to the ends of each of said sonic wires or bundles, said contact piston being mounted adjacent said ink-bearing medium and being activated to cause selected ones of said contact pistons to move into contact with said ink-bearing medium and thereby transfer ultrasonic energy thereto; whereby ultrasonic energy applied to said ink-bearing medium causes a reduction in the viscosity of the ink due to the ultrasonic vibrations and thereby transfers the ink to said print paper.     
     
     
       20. System as recited in claim 19, wherein said modulation means include control switch means connected to each of said contact pistons to activate combinations of pistons in response to print commands. 
     
     
       21. System as recited in claim 19, wherein a single ultrasonic energy generator is connected to supply a plurality of said sonic wires or bundles. 
     
     
       22. An ink printing system, comprising: ultrasonic energy generating means;   a porous ink-bearing medium comprising a substrate having pores containing ink with non-Newtonian flow characteristics which exhibit either large viscosity changes with small increases in temperature or which exhibit a large viscosity at zero and extremely low shear values but a relatively low viscosity at relatively high shear values, said pores being included on the back surface of said substrate;   means for providing a paper to be printed on adjacent to or in contact with the back surface of said ink-bearing medium;   sonic transmission means connected to said ultrasonic energy generating means for transferring sonic energy to said ink-bearing medium, said sonic transmission means including a plurality of sonic wires or bundles having their downstream ends adapted to contact said ink-bearing medium; and   modulation means for selectively coupling the sonic energy from said ultrasonic energy generating means to said ink-bearing medium via said ends of said sonic wires or bundles; whereby ultrasonic energy applied to said ink-bearing medium causes a reduction in the viscosity of the ink due to the ultrasonic vibrations and thereby transfers the ink to said print paper.     
     
     
       23. An ink printing system, comprising: ultrasonic energy generating means;   an ink-bearing medium having a back surface through which ink can be transferred upon reduction of the ink viscosity;   means for providing a paper to be printed on adjacent to or in contact with the back surface of said ink-bearing medium;   sonic transmission means connected to said ultrasonic energy generating means for transferring sonic energy to said ink-bearing medium, said sonic transmission means including a plurality of sonic wires or bundles having their downstream ends adapted to contact said ink-bearing medium; and   modulation means for selctively coupling the sonic energy from said ultrasonic energy generating means to said ink-bearing medium via said ends of said sonic wires or bundles, said modulation means including a contact piston which is ultrasonically coupled to the ends of each of said sonic wires or bundles, said contact piston being mounted adjacent said ink-bearing medium and being activated to cause selected ones of said contact pistons to move into contact with said ink-bearing medium and thereby transfer ultrasonic energy thereto.   
     
     
       24. System as recited in claim 23, wherein each of said contact pistons are driven by an electromagnetic solenoid around each piston, said solenoid being electrically connected to receive the output from a control switch means in response to print commands. 
     
     
       25. System as recited in claim 23, wherein each of said contact pistons comprises a nickel slug which is attached to the end of a sonic wire or sonic bundle. 
     
     
       26. System as recited in claim 23, wherein each of said contact pistons comprises a continuation of said sonic wire or sonic bundle. 
     
     
       27. A method of printing, comprising: selectively transmitting ultrasonic energy along sonic transmission wires or bundles to an ink-bearing medium;   locating said ink-bearing medium in contact with the paper to be printed on;   ultrasonically applying said ultrasonic energy to said ink-bearing medium in a manner whereby the viscosity of said ink is reduced resulting in the seepage of the ink from the ink-bearing medium, and transferral on to said printing paper.   
     
     
       28. Method as recited in claim 27, wherein said step of selectively transmitting ultrasonic energy is accomplished by modifying the sonic transmission by sonic transducer means. 
     
     
       29. Method as recited in claim 27, wherein said step of selectively transmitting sonic energy is accomplished by moving the end of said sonic transmission wires or bundles into closer physical contact with the ink-bearing medium.